Framing the Model Minority Myth with Neo Cat
Hi, it’s me, Chiaki, once again thinking too hard about cats in media. Today I’m here to tell you that Aoka’s Neo Cat conveys how being celebrated doesn’t necessarily exempt you from racism.
Posts by Chiaki Hirai
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Aoashi – Episode 1
Do you like Black Clover? This is basically Black Clover, but soccer.
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Skeleton Knight in Another World – Episode 1
This is just another goddamn isekai fantasy about some misunderstood nice guy who looks like a monster (How Not to Summon a Demon Lord) steeped in MMO mechanics (She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man) to follow his fun little over-powered adventures in another world without much of a goal in mind (Wise Man’s Grandchild). There are so many other shows I would rather watch or promote.
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Life With an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated Into a Total Fantasy Knockout – Episode 1
How did this veritable shitpost of an anime get so much love and attention? I mean, the art looks good, the OP and ED are solid, and the comedic direction is on point.
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She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man – Episode 1
I wish the first episode did more to lean into the premise.
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Miss KUROITSU from the Monster Development Department – Episode 1
Over-the-top sentai flourish aside, the charm for KUROITSU comes from the mundane existential dread of working in an office with demanding bosses and a limited budget.
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High Guardian Spice – Episode 1
Despite all the grief this show has attracted over the years, mostly by people appalled a show could be marketed as explicitly queer and then the relative media silence that relegated it mostly forgotten since it was announced 2017, High Guardian Spice debuts as a comfy and, above all, enjoyable show.
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The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat – Episode 1
It drips style, but aesthetics alone won’t be able to carry this show. I have a feeling the panty flashes aren’t going anywhere, and I’m inclined to ask how distracting the fanservice will be.
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Pregnancy as the pinnacle of womanhood in TSF porn
Though inherently absurd once verbalized, “Abenime” are stories that speak to a nation’s plight. They are designed to manufacture consent by defining baby making as the norm. Women can make babies; ipso facto, their role in saving Japanese society lies in buffering the ever-shrinking population with young, healthy babies who will carry on the nation in the future.
And while this attitude reaches public discourse by way of popular entertainment, it also likewise prevails within narratives not often discussed out in the open. -
Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles – Episode 1
I definitely said “I’m bored” two minutes into the premiere of this show.
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Peach Boy Riverside – Episode 1
Among the many different retellings of the Momotaro legend, it’s nothing new to argue: “what if Momotaro was a douchebag for massacring a bunch of ogres?” But Peach Boy Riverside doesn’t quite go there and instead presents an uneasy set of mixed signals in its art direction, narrative and characters.
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We need more licensed doujinshi
I often want to share a cool story after reading it, but, as an avid reader of doujinshi, I find few outlets where I can share that passion. For all the interesting work indie publications can harbor, they are largely inaccessible to non-Japanese markets, making it difficult to share my passion with English fans.
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Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House – Episode 1
Despite the strange mid-season start for the show, Kiyo in Kyoto seems to be lovingly crafted and easygoing show meant to get people hungry for Japan.
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Ex-Arm – Episode 1
Ex-Arm is everything that can probably go wrong making an anime, beating out even Kemono Friends and Gibiate in production values.
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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – Episode 1
The show looks cool, so I guess I’ll stick around for 3 episodes. Totally fair if you’re not up for a gross protagonist constantly whining about boobs though.
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Horimiya – Episode 1
A teenage love comedy that’s got a few problematic beats to an otherwise solid premiere.
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The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter – Episode 1
A show that could have been a forgettable isekai, but the dude doesn’t come from Japan for once. He’s still boring and everyone wants to get into his pants.
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Cute Executive Officer – Episode 1
A short show about the most exasperating 5 year old you’ll see in anime this year, probably.
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Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World – Episode 1
Our Last Crusade feels more like an MMO world that refuses to admit it’s just the Light Novel author’s MMO fanfiction.
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By the Grace of the Gods – Episode 1
When you have an isekai show so aggressively by the numbers, even the cast points out it’s all just a cliche, you can’t help but wonder if this is a covert call for help from the production staff at Maho Film.
